Packaging machine



Dec. 10, 1929. w. s. CLEAVES 1,739,061

PACKAGING MACHINE Filed May 9. 1927 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 Jada/era??? Dec. 10, 1929. w,. s 1 v 7 1,739,061

PACKAGING MACHINE Filed May 9. 1927 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 Dec. 10, 1929.

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I PACKAGING MACHINE Filed May 9. 19 27 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 H I H 1, m I

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Dec. 10, 1929. w 5 CLEAVES 1,739,061

PACKAGING MACHINE Filed May 9. 1927 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 FjZg. .9

Patented Dec. 10,1929

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM: S. CLEAVES, OF WOLLASTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO PNEUMATIC SCALE CORPORATION, LIMITED, 01? QUINCY, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS PACKAGING MACHINE Application filed May 9, 1927. Serial No. 189,760.

This invention relates to an automatic packaging machine.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved packaging machine which is capable of greater production than other corresponding packaging machines of which I am aware.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel automatic weighing machine of greater productive capacity than other weighing machines of which I am aware.

With these objects in View, and such other objects as may hereinafter appear, the invention consists in themachine and in the structures, arrangements and combinations of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings, in which the different features of the invention are illustrated as embodied in an automatic weighing machine, Figure 1 is a front elevation of the weighing machine; Fig. 2 is a similar view, on an enlarged scale, illustrating the mechanism for controlling the operation of the machine; Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the machine, looking at the right hand end of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on' the line 4-4 of Fig. 1; Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic view showing the manner in which the receptacles are fed through the machine; Fig. 6 is a plan view of the left hand end of the machine; Figs. 7 and 8 are details ofthe mechanism controlling the operation of the bulk loading devices; Figs. 9, 10 and 11 are details of the scale pans of the scales for weighing the final loads in the receptacles; Fig. 12 is a detail of the clutch which controls the feeding of the cartons; and Fig. 13 is a detail of one of the carton feed fingers and associated parts. In general the different features of the present invention are embodied in a packaging machine of the type employed in filling receptacles, such as cartons, with goods, such as sugar, and in which a bulk load is first introduced into the receptacle and thereafter the final load is introduced to complete the filling operation. The quantity of the bulk or final loads may be determined in different ways, as by measurement or weighing, and in the illustrated machine comprising an automatic weighing machine, provision is made for measuring the bulk loads and for weighing the final loads;

In order to increase the productive capacity of packaging machines of this type, provision is made for substantially simultaneously introducing the bulk load into a pin rality of packages and for introducing the final loads into a plurality of other packages during the aforesaid bulk loading operation. In this manner a relatively great productive capacity is imparted to the packaging machine while permitting the various operations of the machine to be performed at substantially normal speed. In other words, the present packaging machine possesses the productive capacity of avery high speed machine, and in addition has the practical advantage that the individual operations such as the weighing operation, the measuring operation or the handling of the receptacles passing through the machine, may be performed within those moderate limits of speed which have proven practical. In this manner the difficulties which would be experienced in an extremely high speed weighing machine or packaging machine are avoided.

Referring to the drawings, the invention is illustrated as embodied in a weighing machine of the type generally known as a two scale weigher which is designed to perform the desired filling and weighing operations simultaneously on a pair of packages or cartons. The machine illustrated is similar in construction and operation, excepting as hereinafter pointed out, to the machine illustrated in the patent to W. S. Scales, No.

924,191, issued June 8, 1909, to which refer ence may be had for features not disclose in detail in the present application.

The machine illustrated in the drawings comprises, in general, a bulk loadingrnechanism 12 adapted to deliver to each of a pair of cartons a measured quantity of material slightly less in amount than the final contents thereof, a tapper mechanism 14 which shakes down the bulk loads in a preceding pair of cartons and a final load mechanism, comprising in part, drip hoppers 16,18, which deliver final loads to a pair of cartons which have previously received bulk loads and then had said loads shaken down bythe tapper mechanism. While receiving their final loads the cartons are held on scale pans 20, 22 carried by scale beams 24, 26. The empty cartons are fed into the machine by a con stantly driven inlet conveyor 28 until the foremost carton thereon engages a fixed stop 30 and a pusher plate 32 is arranged to there after engage the first two cartons on said inlet conveyor and push said cartons into position beneath the bulk loading mechanism 12. The pusher plate 32 is arranged to operate in timed relation to a series of feed fingers 34 carried by a conveyor chain 36 which is intermittently operated to feed the cartons successively in pairs by means of said feed fingers, from the bulk loading mechanism, first to the tapping mechanism, then onto the scale pans 20, 22 of the final loading mechanism, and finally from said scale pans to a discharge conveyor 38 which carries the filled cartons out of the machine. A control mechanism is provided which prevents the feed fingers 34 and pusher plate 32 from operating to feed cartons through the machine until both cartons on the scale pans 22, 24 have received their final loads and which also prevents the operation of these members in the event that there are not two cartons on the inlet conveyor 28 in position to be fed to the bulk loading mechanism by the pusher plate.

The weighing machine illustrated in the drawings 0 erates in successive cycles, and during the liist part of each cycle the loading, tapping and weighing operations described take place. After the cartons on the scale pans have made their weights, the second part of the cycle is permitted to begin and the feed mechanisms are actuated to advance each pair of cartons to the position previously occupied by the preceding pair.

The loading and weighing mechanisms used in the present machine will now be described. The bulk loading mechanism which is illustratedin Figs. 1 and 3 operates, during the first half of each cycle to deliver a measured quantity of the material to be packaged slightly less in amount than the final load which the carton is to receive, into each of a pair of cartons which were fed into position beneath said loading mechanism by the pusher plate 28 during the second half of the preceding cycle.

The bulk loading mechanism comprises a hopper 40 provided witha pair of outlet tubes 42, 44 arranged directly above the cartons which are to receive the loads. Rotatable gate members comprising vanes 46, Fig. 3, secured to a shaft 48 journalled in the tubes 42, 44 are arranged in said tubes, and provision is made for rotating said gate members at the proper speed during the first half of each cycle to permit the required amount of material to be delivered to the cartons. At the same time provision is made for rotating stirrer members 50 secured to a shaft 52 journalled in the hopper 40 above the gate members to cause the material in the hopper to flow freely to the gate members. To these ends, sprockets 54 and 56 are secured to the shafts 48 and 52 and a chain 58 engages said sprockets and a sprocket 60 formed on the hub of a disk 62 rotatably mounted on the constantly driven control shaft 64 of the ma chine, Figs. 1, 3, 7 and 8. The disk 62 is the driven member of a clutch and provision is made for rotating said disk during the first part of each cycle to operate the gate and stirrer members. For this purpose, a driving clutch member 66 comprising ratchet wheels 68 and 70 is secured to the shaft 64 adjacent the disk 62 and a cam disk 7 2 is rotatably mounted on the shaft 64 adjacent the clutch member 66, Figs. 7 and 8. Pawls 74 and 76 are rotatably mounted on the disks 62,72, and springs 78 and 80 urge said pawls into engagement with the ratchet wheels 68 and 70. The pawl 74 is normally held out of engagement with the ratchet wheel 68 by a stop pin 82 carried by a dog 84 pivoted at 86 in a fixed bracket 88, and in order to hold the stop pin 82 in engagement with the pawl a cam roll 90 pivoted on the dog 84 is held in engagement with the periphery of the cam disk 72 by a spring 92. Fig. 7. The pawl 76 is normally held out of engagement with the ratchet wheel 70 by a stop pin 94 carried by an arm 96 secured to a rock shaft 98.

When both cartons on the scale pans 24, 26 have made their weights and in the event that there are two cartons in position to be pushed under the bulk loading mechanism 12 by the pusher plate 32, the shaft 98 is rocked, through connections which will be described, to disengage the stop pin 94 from the pawl 76 and permit the latter to engage the constantly rotating ratchet wheel 7 O. This sets the cam disk 72, on which the pawl 76 is pivoted, in rotation, and during the first half revolution of the disk 72 the feed of the cartons, previously described, takes place. When the cam disk? 2 has rotated through this first half revolution, a raised portion 100 on the periphery of the cam disk 72, Fig. 8, engages the cam roll 90 and swings the dog 84 in a counter-clockwise direction, viewing Fig. 7. This disengages the stop screw'82 from the pawl 74 and permits said pawl to engage the constantly rotating ratchet wheel 68, thereby rotating the disk 62 on which said pawl is pivoted and through the sprocket 60 and other connections pre viously described, actuating the gate members and stirrers to deliver bulk loads to the cartons. Shortly after the dog 84 is rocked to permit the pawl 74 to engage the ratchetwheel 68, the cam roll 90 rides OK the raised portion 100 of the cam disk 72 and the dog 84 is restored to its normal position by the spring 92, and after the disk 62 has made one revolution, the tail of the .pawl 74 is again engaged by the stop screw 82 and said pawl is disengaged from the ratchet ,68 and the movement of the gate members and stirrers of the bulk loading. mechanism is stopped. v k

The shaft 98 is rocked, as stated previously, to disengage the-stop pin'94 from the pawl 7 6 and permit said pawl to engage the ratchet Wheel 70. After the disk 72 to which said pawl is pivoted has been thereby set in rota- .tion and before it has rotatedthrough one revolution, the shaft 98 is'again rocked as will be described to return the stoppin -94 to its original position, and when the disk 72 completes one revolution the tail of the pawl 76 is again engaged by the stop pin 94 and said pawl is disengaged from the ratchet wheel and held in such position until the shaft 98 is again rocked at the start of the next feeding operation of the machine.

The drip hoppers 16 and 18 of the final load mechanism are each provided on their lower ends with a pair of shutters 102, Fig. 4, by means of which the flow of material from said hoppers is controlled, through connections which will be described, from the control shaft 64. To this end, two cam members 104 are loosely mounted on the shaft 64 and a pawl 106 pivoted on each of said cam members is normally urged by a spring (not shown) into engagement with a ratchet 108 secured to said control shaft, see Fig. 2.

Each pawl and ratchetcomprises a clutch for driving the cams 104 controlling the various operations of the machine, as will be described. Each of the pawls 106 is disengagedfrom the teeth of its ratchet 108 by either of two pins 110, 112 mounted in each of two yokes 114, each yoke being pivoted upon a shaft 116 secured to the machine frame. Each yoke is oscillated, as will be described, in a direction longitudinally of the control shaft 64 to present either the upper'or lower pin 110, 112 upon each yoke 114 in the path of the corresponding awl 106 of the pawl and ratchet clutches. en the yokes are rocked counter-clockwise, viewin Fig.2,\to move the upper pins 110 out of the paths of the pawls 106, the springs operate to cause the nose of each pawl 106 to engagethe teeth of its ratchet 108 and the ratchets operate to drive, through the pawls 106, the cam disks 104 through one-half .a

revolution. When the yokes are rocked, as

above described, the lower pin 112 of each yoke is positioned in the path of the corresponding pawl 106, so that at the end of the half revolution of the cam disks 104, each pawl 106 is disengaged from its ratchet 108 and remains disengaged until the lower pins 112 are moved out of the path of the pawl when the yokes are rocked in the reverse direction, as will be described.

Provision is made for controlling the machine sci that it will not start on the second 7 part of its cycle of operations until both of the final load scales have completed their 7 weights. For this purpose each cam disk 104 has co-operatingwith it a cam roller 118 70 on the end of an arm 120 pivoted on a rock shaft 122. Each arm 120 is directly connected to one of two pawl controlling latches 124, 125, one of the arms 120 being connected to the latch 124 through a link 126, arm 128 and link 130, and the other to the second latch 125, which is directly behind the latch 124 shown in Fig. 2 by an arm 132 and similar link 131. Both pawl controlling latches 124, 125 are arranged to cooperate with a pawl 134 of a pawl and ratchet clutch, the ratchet 136 being fast on the shaft 64, and the pawl 134 being mounted on a pawl carrying disk 138 secured to,a separate shaft 140, which is arranged to be driven from the shaft 64 35- through the-pawl and ratchet clutch 134, 136. The pawl controlling latches 124, 125 are each provided with a pawl engaging portion 142 for holding the pawl out of engagement with the ratchet, and with a recessed portion 144 adapted to permit the free rotation of the pawl withoutdisengagement from the ratchet. When both pawl engaging latches are swung to the right from the position shown in Fig. 2, the pawl 134 is permitted to engage the ratchet 136 and drive the shaft 140. The shaft 140 is connected by bevel gears 146, 148 to a vertical shaft 150 upon which is mounted the sprocket 152 for driving the conveyor chain 36, and consequently the movements of the cartons at the start of the second part of each cycle of operations of themachine cannot take place unless the pawl controlling latches 124, 125 are in their inoperative position, or, in other words, are swung to the right from the position shown in Fig. 2 to permit the pawl 134 to engage the ratchet 136. This condition, as will be described, only obtains when both scale beams 24, 26 have completed their Weights andhave been reset.

During the portion of each cycle of operations of the machine in 'which the cartons are being moved onto the scale pans, the sea te beams 24, 26 are locked by set screws 154-"on levers 156, the latter being held down by the cams 104 through the rollers 118, arms and links 158, see Fig. 4. After the cartons have been positioned. the set screws 154 and levers 156 are raised by springs 160 under the arms 120, Fig. 2, to unlock the scale beams 120 preparatory to the start of the weighing operation.

As above stated, the operation of the weighing machine takes place in successive half cycles in which each cam disk 104 is permitted 5 to make a half revolution accordingly as the pins 110, 112 upon the yokes. 114 are moved to successively engage the tails of the pawls 106 as the yokes are rocked into their two positionsof operation. The movement of the 1 cartons by the conveyor 36 occurs during onehalf of each cycle and the weighing operations occur during the remaining half of each cycle. Both final weight scales may operate to perform their weighing operations independently of one another, but as above stated, provision is made whereby the operation of the endless conveyor 36 to advance succeeding cartons through the machine and to remove the weighted cartons, is deferred until both scales have completed their weights. The yokcs 114 are rocked clockwise to remove the lower pins 112 from' engagement with the tails of the pawls 106 at the end of the half cycle during which the cartons have been moved by the conveyor 36. This rocking of the yokes in a clockwise direction is effected by a cam 162 on a counter shaft 164, the latter being connected through gears 166 to the.

shaft 140, see Fig. 6. A cam roller 168 is arranged to cooperate with the cam 162 and is mounted on the upper arm of a lever 170 secured to a rock shaft 172 journalled in a bracket 173. A lever 174 is also secured to the rock shaft 172 and is pivotally secured at its lower end to a slide bar 176 having three pins 178. 180 and 182 projecting therefrom. The pins 178, 180 and 182 are adapted, when the slide bar is moved in the direction of the arrow 184. Fig. 2, by the cam 162. to engage levers 186, 188 and 190 secured to rock shafts 192, 19-1 and 196 and rock said shafts in a clockwise direction. Levers 198 are also secured to the rock shafts 192 and 194, and a lever 200 is secured to the shaft 196, the levers 198 being connected through links 204 to the yokes 114 and the lever 200 connected through a link 206 to an arm 208 secured to the rock shaft 98. Through these connections, when the shafts 192. 194 and 196 are rocked by the cam 162 in a clockwise direction, the yokes 114 are also rocked in a clockwise direction and at the same time the rock shaft 98 is rocked in a clockwise direction to disengage the stop pin 94 carried by the arm 96 from the tail of the pawl 76 and permit said pawl to engage the ratchet and start the operation of the mechanism previously described for controlling the operation of the bulk loading mechanism.

The movement of the yokes 114 to the right or in a clockwise direction and the rocking of the shaft 98 in the same direction under the influence of the cam 162 is not permitted until both final weight scale beams have completed their weights during the previous half cycle of operation, and when both scales have completed their weights, both pawl controlling latches 124. 125 will have been moved as above described into their extreme position to the right, viewing Fig. 2, permitting the pawl 134 to engage the ratchet 136 and consequently rotating the shafts 140 and 164 through one revolution in the manner previously described. The cam 162 is timed to operate at near the end of the travel of the cartons under the actuation of the pusher fingers 34 upon the conveyor 36, whereby when the cartons have been moved onto the scale pans, the yokes 114 are rocked in a clockwise direction by the cam 162 through the connections described, the pawls 106 and the cam disks 104 are rotated through onehalf a revolution at the end of which the tails of the pawls 106 are engaged by the pins 110 on the upper parts of the yokes 114, thus permitting the cam rollers 118 and arms 120 to be raised by the springs 160 and rocking arms 132 and 133, carrying movable clutch members 210 which are splined to the control shaft 64 to move said clutch members into engagement with clutch members 212 loosely mounted on the shaft 64. Sprockets 214 are secured to the clutch members 212, and said sprockets are connected through chains 216, Fig. 1, to sprockets 218 secured to shafts 220 which carry stirrers 222 which operate in the hoppers 16 and 18 to loosen the material therein and aid the feeding thereof.

As stated above, each hopper 16, 18 is provided with a pair of shutters 102 for controlling the flow of material therefrom, and provision is made for opening and closing said shutters at the start and end of the weighing operations. To this end, the shutters 102 of each hopper, one pair of which is shown in open position in Fig. 4, are secured to rock shafts 224 journalled in the hoppers 16, 18, and arms 226 also secured to the shafts 224 are connected by links 228 to opposite arms of rock levers 230 pivoted on the shafts 220. In order to rock the levers 230 to open and close the shutters 102, links 232 are connected between a third arm of said levers and the lower end of rock levers 234 mounted on fixed studs 236. lVhen the yokes 114 are rocked in a clockwise direction, viewing Fig. 2, at the completion of the carton feeding operation, in the manner previously described, and the cam disks 104 are thereby permitted to rotate through one-half a revolution, abutments 238 on the faces of said cam disks engage abutments 240 formed on the rock levers 236 and rock said levers in a clockwise direction viewing Fig. 4,,to move the shutters 102 into their opened position, and permit material to be discharged from the hoppers 16, 18 into the cartons. \Vhen each of the scales makes its Weight, the corresponding yoke 114 is rocked in a counter-clockwise direction and the corresponding cam disk 104 is permitted the scale beams are depressed and provision is made for operatively connecting the scale beams with the yokes 114' in order to rock the yokes in a counter-clockwise direction to disengage the upper pins 110 fromthe pawls 106 and at the same time place the pins 112 in the paths thereof to permit the cam disks 104 to rotatethrough one-half a revolution. For this purpose the end of each scale beam is provided with a finger 244, Fig. 4, which is adapted to engage and raise one end of a counter-weighted leve13246 pivoted at 248 on a bracket 250 when said scale beam makes its weight, and lower the other end of said lever. This permits the lower end of a vertical lever 252 pivoted at 254 on the bracket 250 to be moved into a notch 256 in the end of the lever 246, and in order to move said-lever 252 in this manner it is provided on its upper end with a cam surface 258 which normally en gages one of a pair of cam blocks 260. The cam blocks 260 are secured to the rock shafts 192 and 194. The cam surface 258 is adapted to hold the cam block in an elevated position and to thereby hold the rock shaft 192 or 194 to which it is secured in a position corresponding to the position of the yokes 114 in their extreme position to the right, or in other words, in the position into which they have been moved by the cam 262 at the end of thehalf cycle during which the cartons have been moved upon the scale beams. When the cam block 260 is held by the cam 258 in an elevated position, the end of the lever 252 engages the end, of the lever 246, the parts being illustrated in this position in Fig.4, and corresponding to the normal position of the scale beams at the startof the weighing operation.

When each scale b'eam makes its weight, its lever 246 is rocked by the finger244 and the cam block 260 operated by the weights of the levers 198 and link 204 and by the action of a. coil spring 262, Fig. 2, connected between an arm 264 secured to the corresponding shaft 192, 194 and aportion of the machine frame, operates to cam the upper end of the lever 252 to the right, viewing Fig. 4, thus rocking the corresponding shaft 192, 194 and the corresponding yoke 114 ina counter clockwise direction, viewing Fig. 2.

After both scales have completed their weights and both yokes 114 have been rocked, in the manner described, to their extreme position to the left, viewing Fig. 2, the cam 162 will be rotated through the connections previously described and will operate through the slide bar 176 to rock the shafts 192, 194 and elevate the cam blocks 260 into a position slightly higher than that shown in resume the position shown in Fig. 4. Thereafter the surface of the cam 1'62 recedes slightly and permits the cam block 260 to swing downwardly, and engage the cam surface 258 on the lever 252, the parts then assuming the reset position illustrated in Fig. 4, with the lower end of the lever 252 in engagement with the end of the lever 246 and the scale is then ready for the next weighing operation. The mechanism just described is referred to as the scale resetting mechanism, and in the operation of the machine, when each scale has thus been reset and is ready to weigh, the clutches 210, 212 are disengaged and remain disengaged until the slide bar 17 6 operates to rock, through the linkage described, the levers 132,133 to cause the engagement of the clutches 210, 212 and again start the rotation of the stirrers 222. I

The manner in which the cartons are fed through the machine and their positions after each feeding operation are illustrated diagrammatically in Fig. 5 of the drawings. In this figure the cartons positioned on the inlet conveyor 28by'the engagement of the fore most carton with the stop plate 30 are indicated at 270. Two cartons are indicated at 27 2 in the'positions to which they are moved beneath the bulk loading mechanism by the pusher plate 32 and'the preceding pair of cartons are shown at 274 in the position to which ing the cartons after they have been fed into I position on the scale pans 20 and 22. Accordingly, provision is made for relatively moving the scale pans 20, 22, to s ace apart the cartons, and as herein shown or moving the scale pan 22 away from the scale pan 20 after a pair of cartons have beenfed onto said scale pans to move the carton on the scale pan 22 out of contact with that on the scale pan 20.

Thi movement of the scale pan 22 is con trolled by a cam 280 secured to the shaft 164, Figs. 4 and 6, and the cam 280 is so shaped and so arranged with respect to the movement of the cartons that the separating movement of the cartons takes place, through connections which will be described, at the end of the feeding movement of the cartons and at the end of each intermittent rotation of the shaft 164. As herein shown, the scale pan 22 is provided with depending brackets 282 and 284 slidably mounted on rods 286 secured in the outer end of the scale beam 26, see Figs. 9, 10

and 11. A tension spring 288 is connected between the bracket 282 and a portion of the scale beam 26 and at the start of the feeding operation of the cartons and thereafter until said feeding movement is almost completed, the scale pan 22 is held in the position shown in Fig. 9 against the action of the spring 288 by the engagement of a pin 290 on the upper end of a rock lever 292 with an arm 294 fixed to the scale pan 22 and depending therefrom. The rock lever 292 is secured at its lowerend to a rock shaft 296 which is journalled in the machine frame, and a link 298 is connected between an arm 300 also secured to the rock shaft 296 and one arm of a bell crank lever 302 pivoted on a fixed pivot 304, Figs. 4 and 6. A cam roll 306 pivoted on the second arm of the bell crank lever 302 is held in engagement with the periphery of the cam 280 by a spring 308 connected between a collar 310 secured on the link 298 and a portion of the machine frame. When the feeding movement of the cartons onto the scale pans 20, 22 is almost entirely completed and when during said movement the shaft 164 and cam 280 have been rotated through almost one complete revolution the cam roll 306 drops off a raised portion 312 of the cam 280, under the influence of the spring 308 and rocks the shaft 296 and rock lever 292 in a counter-clockwise direction, viewing Figs. 9 and 10. This moves the pin 290 in the upper end of the rock lever 292 from the position shown in Fig. 9 to that shown in Fig. 10, and permits the scale pan 22 to be moved to the left by the spring 288 from the position shown in Fig. 9 to that shown in Fig. 10 and moves the carton which has been fed onto the scale pan 22 out of contact with the carton on the scale pan 20, as indicated in Fig. 10, and prevents said cartons from interfering with one another during the subsequent weighing operations.

As stated above, a pair of cartons are fed onto the scale pans 20, 22 during each cycle of operation of the machine by one of the feed fingers 34. After the said feed finger 34 has thus operated to feed the cartons onto the scale pans, provision is made for retracting the feed finger slightly, to withdraw it from contact with the carton which it has fed onto the scale pan 20 and prevent it from subsequently interfering with the accurate weighing of said carton. For this purpose a earn 314, Fig. 6, is secured to the shaft 164 which operates through suitable connections, which will be described, to retract slightly the aforesaid feed finger at the end of its carton feeding movement. Each of the feed fingers 34 is made in the form of a bell crank lever which is pivoted at 316 on a carrier member 318 secartons onto the scale pans 20, 22, the roll 322 rides along the surface of an angle bar 324, being held in contact therewith by a spring 326 connected between a pin secured in the feed finger 34 and a pin secured to the carrier member 318. The angle bar 324 is pivoted at 328 and 330 on rock levers 332 and 334 pivoted at 336 and 338 to the frame of the machine. During the feeding operation of the cartons, the angle bar 324 occupies the position shown-in Figs. 6 and 13 and no relative movement occurs between the feed finger 34 and carrier member 318.

At the end of said feeding movement, however, provision is made for moving the angle bar 324 upwardly, viewing Figs. 6 and 13. to permit the carton engaging plate 320 of the feed finger 34 to be withdrawn from contact with the carton on the scale pan 20. To this end, a link 340 is secured between an extension 342 of the rock lever 332 and the lower end of a cam lever 344 which is pivoted at 346 to the bracket 17 3, and a cam roll 348 pivoted on the upper end of said cam arm 344 is held in engagement with the cam 314 by a spring 350 connected between a pin secured in the rock lever 332 and a pin secured in a fixed part of the machine, Fig. 6. At the end of each feeding movement of the cartons and of each revolution of the shaft 164 the cam roll 348, under the influence of the spring 350. rides off a raised portion of the cam 314 and the angle bar 324 is moved upwardly from the position shown in Figs. 6 and 13. through the connections described, to permit the spring 326 to withdraw the carton engaging plate 320 of the feed finger 34 from engagement with the carton which has just been fed onto the scale pan 20. A stop screw 352 threaded into a lug 354 on the pusher finger 34 engages the carrier member 318 to limit the retractive movement of the feed finger.

When a weighing machine such as that forming the subject matter of the present application is used in combination with another machinc, such as a carton forming machine, to package goods. it sometimes happens that the supply of cartons from the other machine to the weighing machine is dis- 1 continued, for some reason. Vhen this occurs it is desirable to stop the operation of the weighing machine in order to prevent the discharge of material from the hoppers thereof when there are no cartons in position to receive said material. r-lccordingly, in the illustrated embodiment of the invention provision is made for preventing the carton feeding operation of ,the machine in any cycle of operation thereof unless there are two cartons present on the inlet conveyor 28 in position to be fed to the bulk loading mechanism by the pusher plate To this end, feeler members 354 and 356. Fig. 1, are provided, being yieldingly urged into feeling positions by light springs. The feeler members are normally engaged by the firstand second cartons on the conveyor 28, preferably in the positions illustrated in Fig. 1, and when said feeler members are thus engaged by said cartons, a pawlengaging latch 358, Fig. 12, which otherwise engages the pawl 134 and holds it out of engagement with the ratchet 136, is disengaged from said pawl, through 7 connections which will be described, to permit the pawl to engage the ratchet and start the carton feeding operation of the machine The feeler member 354 is secured to a rock shaft 360 journalled in a bracket 362. An arm 364, Fig. 2, is also secured to the rock shaft 360, and a spring 366 connected between the arm 364 and a fixed portion of the machine tends to swing the arm 364 and feeler member 354 in a clockwise direction, viewing Figs. 1 and 2. In the normal operation of the machine, when a pair of cartons are fed to the bulk loading mechanism by the pusher plate 32, the feeler member 354 and arm 364 are swung in a clockwise direction, viewing Figs. 1 and 2, by the spring 366 when the cartons'have been moved past the feeler member. While'the first twocartons arp being fed to the bulk loading mechanism by the pusher plate 32, the third carton is and arm 364 in a counter-clockwise direction to the position shown in Fig. 1.

The feeler member 356 is secured to a rock shaft 370 journalled in a bracket 372 and a coil spring 374 surrounding said rock shaft urges said feeler member against the line of cartons on the conveyor 28. At the time that the feeler member 354 is first engaged by the foremost carton, the feeler member 356 is in engagement with the second carton, illustrated in Fig. 1, being arranged to swing through an opening formed in the pusher plate 32, and prow'sion' is made for preventing the feeler member 354, shaft 360 and arm 362 from being rocked by the first carton unless said second carton is present on the conveyor 28.- For this purpose, an arm 376 is secured to the rock shaft 370 which carries the feeler member 356', and a. rod 378 is secured to the rock shaft 366 which carries swing the feeler member 354 in a counterclockwise direction from the position shown in dotted lines to that shown in full lines in Fig. 1. When, however, said second carton is not present the arm 376 is swung inwardly by the spring 374 into a position directly end of the rod 378 engages the arm 376 and the carton is prevented from moving the feeler member 354 from the dotted to the full line position shown in Fig. 1 and the shaft 360 is not rocked in a counter-clockwise direction.

From the foregoing description it is apparent that when two cartons are fed by the inlet conveyor 28 into position to be engaged by the pusher plate 32, the shaft 360 is rocked in a, counter-clockwise direction, viewing Figs. 1 and 2, but if either or both of said cartime be. absent the rock shaft 360 is not permitted to rock. When the shaft 360 is'rocked,

in the manner described, in the presence of'a pair of cartons on the inlet conveyor, the latch 358 isremoved from engagement with the pawl 134 to permit the carton feeding oper aticn of the machine to be initiated, but when either. of-said cartons is not present, the shaft,

36.0 is not rocked and the latch 358 remains engagement with the pawl 134 and prevents i v the starting of the carton feeding operation until such time as both cartons are present. As herein shown, the latch 358 is secured to a rock shaft 380 journalled in a bracket 382,

Figs. 6 and'12, and linkage is provided to q rock the shaft 380 to disengage the latch 358 from the pawl 134 when the shaft 360 is rocked. This linkage includes a link 384 connected between the upper end of the arm- 364 and one arm of a bell crank lever 386 pivoted at'388 to the frame of the machine," Fig. 2,

and a link 390 connected between the second arm of the bell crank lever 386 and an arm 3921 secured to the rock shaft 380, Figs. 6 an 12. i

From the above description of the preferred embodiment of the invention," it will be apparent that the present invention'enables the desired increase in the productive capacity of a packaging machine-to be obtained while maintaining the speed at which the operations of the machine are perfor'medwithin those limits which insure accuracy and efficiency. 9

While the preferred form of the inventionhas been illustrated and described, it will be understood that the invention may be embod ied in other formsdefined by the following claims without departing from the scope 'of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimedisz- 1. a packag ng machine, in combination,

a plurality of weighing devices, a plurality of bulk loading devices, means for presenting a plurality anda predetermined number of receptacles first to the bulk loading devices and then to the Weighing devices, and means for preventing the operation of the bulk loading devices when less than the predetermined number of receptacles are in position to be presented to said bulk loading devices.

2. In a packaging machine, in combination, a plurality of bulk loading devices, a plurality of final loading devices, an incoming conveyor, transferring mechanism for transferring a plurality and a predetermined number of receptacles from the said incoming conveyor to said bulk loading devices, and means for preventing the operation of said bulk loading devices in the event that less than said predetermined number of receptacles is in a position to be transferred by said transfer mechanism.

3. In a packaging machine, in combination, a plurality of bulk loading devices, a plurality of final loading devices, an inc'oming conveyor, transferring mechanism for transferring a plurality and a predetermined number of receptacles from the said incoming conveyor to said bulk loading devices, and'means for preventing the operation of said transferring mechanism in the event that less than said predetermined number of receptacles is in a position to be transferred by said transfer mechanism.

4. In an automatic Weighing machine, in combination, a plurality of bulk loading devices, a plurality of final loading devices including a plurality of scales, means for controlling the operation of said bulk and final loading devices to cause the machine to operate in succeeding cycles, .mechanism for presenting a plurality and a predetermined number of receptacles first to the bulk loading devices and then to the final loading devices, and control mechanism operating in the event that less than the aforesaid predetermined number of receptacles are in a position to be presented to the bulk loading devices, to prevent the initiation of a succeeding cycle of operation of the machine.

5. In a weighing machine, in combination, a plurality of bulk loading devices, a plurality of final loading devices including a plurality of scales each provided with a scale pan, means for presenting a plurality of receptacles to the bulk loading devices, means for transferring one receptacle to each scale pan, and means for relatively moving said scale pans to space apart said receptacles prior to the weighing operation.

6. In an automatic weighing machine, in combination, means for substantially simultaneously introducing a bulk load into a plurality of receptacles, and means for introducing a final load into a plurality of other receptacles during the aforesaid bulk loading operation including a plurality of scales each provided with a scale pan, mechanism for transferring one receptacle to each scale pan, and means for relatively moving the scale pans to space apart said receptacles prior to the start of the Weighing operation.

7. In a weighing machine, in combination, a plurality of bulk loading devices, a plurality of final loading devices, means for moving a plurality of packages into Weighing position and in adjacent relation to one another, and means for separating the packages when in weighing position to permit them to be weighed independently.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

WILLIAM S. CLEAVES. 

